A Modern Shakespearean Tale
by QueenCate
Summary: Ever wondered what would have happened if Piper and Cole got together?
1. Default Chapter

**Part 1**

"Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo?" Piper Halliwell's voice was filled with passion as she stared into her Romeo's beautiful and wise eyes

Leo Wyatt stared back into her eyes, which constantly betrayed her feelings. He leaned over and gently kissed her soft, round lips.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "That's not in the book!"

"Well, it's about time Shakespeare had some changes," Leo told her lightly.

"Hmm, maybe we should try it again. Just to make sure the changes fit."

Leo nodded.

Just as they leaned in for another kiss, a voice interrupted them.

"Oops, sorry," said the male voice.

The couple looked up and saw Cole Turner standing in the doorway, looking not the least bit sorry.

'He always shows up at the worst moments!' Leo thought, cursing the half-demon.

Piper pushed Leo off of herself and scrambled to her feet. "It's okay. We were just going to go get a wiccan workout anyway," she answered, straightening out her clothes.

Cole watched her with a self-satisfied smile painted of his deceptively old face. "That's what I need to talk to you about. The demon."

"What is it?" Leo inquired, putting his personal feelings for the man aside.

Cole looked up, a startled look on his darkly handsome face; as though he'd forgotten Leo was still there. "Maybe you should go check with the Elders, see what they know."

Leo opened his mouth to argue, but Piper interrupted. "Good idea. Go ahead, Leo."

The whitelighter stared at Piper with an expression identical to that of a wounded puppy. After several seconds, he sighed and his body disappeared in a swirl of blue orbs.

Piper turned to Cole, trying not to think about how good-looking he was and how attracted she felt to him. "Now what about the demon?"

Cole stared hard at Piper for a few seconds. She tried to read his face, but couldn't. He took a step closer, as if going to look at the Book of Shadows, but Piper instinctively knew that wasn't what he wanted. Cole watched with an amused smile as she deliberated her next move in her mind. Instead of moving a step back like she should have, she took a step in, leaving no space in between them. Piper stared up at him and Cole looked right back down at her. She searched his eyes for something, anything that would tell her what she should do next. All she saw was what he wanted her to do, not what she should do. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, she made up her mind.

"We can't get caught," she warned him.

Cole shook his head. "No, we can't…"

Piper nodded her consent and a slight smile spread across Cole's face. He turned to the attic door and closed it telekinetically.

"…and we won't" he finished.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**  
_Knock, knock._

The incessant knocking on the attic door woke Piper and Cole with a start. They exchanged glances of horror when they heard Phoebe's voice yelling.

"Hello? What's going on in there?"

The two took in each others' states of undress.

"Whoever's in there better open up, or I'm coming in!" Phoebe yelled, banging even harder. Fear was evident in her voice.

"Shit," Piper whispered.  
Cole grabbed her tightly.  
"Um, Cole? That's probably not the best position for her to find us in," Piper told him, struggling against his hold. She felt light-headed for a second and the next thing she knew, they were in her own bedroom.

"What the…?" She looked around confusedly.

Cole gently pressed his index against her soft, round lips. "Shh," he warned softly. "I shimmered."

A look of realization lit Piper's classically beautiful features. "Ah."

"Aie!" Phoebe let out a yell as she kicked the attic door with all her strength.

The hinges burst and she rushed in. Her eyes scanned the room quickly. It was empty.

'That's strange.' She thought. 'How did it get locked?'

Phoebe made a mental note to ask Leo about it later and went off in search of Cole.

Piper tiptoed over to the door and peeked out. The coast was clear. Phoebe had just bounced down the stairs calling Cole's name.

Piper turned just in time to see Cole shimmer off. She blew a lock of sweaty hair off her face. Why couldn't guys just stay in one place?

Cole shimmered into the kitchen, right in front of Phoebe. "You called?"

Phoebe smiled brightly. "Yes, I did!" She linked her arm through his. "Let's go out and doing something fun!"

Cole stared at her for a second. This was one of the reasons he needed to be with Piper. Phoebe was still so young, while Piper was so much more mature. "Uh, not right now. I'm a little tired. I think I'll go…take a nap."

"Why are you so tired?" Piper strode into the kitchen, looking as if she could care less how Cole felt. Just like usual.

"Uh, long night," he replied. He searched her eyes for something, anything. He saw conflict. He knew she was fighting with herself. Her feelings for Cole mixing with the attraction she had her himself.

_Ding, dong._

"I'll get it!" Phoebe sang out, skipping slightly as she went to the front door.  
Piper and Cole locked eyes. Piper crossed the distance between them and looked up into his deep brown eyes. "Cole. We almost got caught," she started softly. "I love Phoebe and Leo and too much to hurt either one of them. If we ever got found out, they'd both be crushed beyond belief. I'd lose them forever."

Cole nodded slowly. "I know. I don't want to lose Phoebe, either."

Piper realized they'd come to an agreement. She felt disappointment pulling at her stomach, dragging it down around her knees.

Then Cole added something. "But I don't want to lose you, either," he told her, wrapping his strong arms around her slim waist.

Piper looked once more into his eyes and she knew she didn't want to stop, either.

"Hey, guys," Phoebe called.

They broke apart immediately.

"Yeah, Pheebs?" Piper asked.

"Darryl's here. He has something he wants us to check out," Phoebe called back. "Come on into the living room."

Piper and Cole complied.

"Hi, Darryl," Piper greeted her long-time friend.  
Hey, Piper," Darryl replied. "Cole," he added, nodding his head toward the man slightly.  
Cole nodded back.

"So what's up?" Piper asked, wanting to get whatever it was over with so she could get far away from Cole. She needed some time to think while he wasn't right next to her, clouding her thoughts.

"There's a woman missing," Darryl began. "I know, doesn't sound like your department, but there's more. She's a wiccan and her boyfriend said she'd been acting weird for a few days."

"Weird how?" Phoebe asked.

"She'd been quoting Shakespeare. More specifically, she'd been performing entire plays of his. But according to the boyfriend, she hates Shakespeare and refused to read it."

Piper and Phoebe exchanged confused looks.  
"Okay, Darryl, we'll check it out," Piper promised.

Leo chose that moment to orb in. "The Elders have a job for you," he informed the girls.

"Does it involve a missing witch who got obsessed with Shakespeare?" Piper asked.

Leo looked at his wife curiously. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

Piper indicated towards Darryl. "Darryl just told us."

Leo whirled around. "Oh, hi, Darryl. I didn't even see you."  
"Yeah, thanks, man," Morris replied teasingly.  
Leo smiled back. Then he turned to the girls. "So how do you two wanna do this?"

Piper thought for a minute. "I really wish Prue wasn't on that business trip. We could use her. Ok, Cole, you take Phoebe to the girl's apartment and see if she can get a premonition. Leo and I can hit the Book."

"Actually, Piper, Leo should take me and Cole should stay here." Leo opened his mouth to protest, so Phoebe added, "He knows most of the demons, so he can make the search go more quickly."

Leo studied Piper for a second before grudgingly nodding his agreement. He took Phoebe's hand, and Phoebe took Darryl's. Darryl told them where to go and they left in a swirl of blue lights.

Piper bounded up the stairs, leaving Cole behind. She needed to think.

Cole listened closely and heard he go into the attic and then into her, shutting the door. He shimmered up to her room and ended up right next to her.

"Piper," he said. "I know you need time to think, but Phoebe was right. You need my help to find this demon."

She watched him for a moment, reveling in his beauty. She could feel his dark power radiating off his skin in waves. And it turned her on. Life with Leo was so safe, so…boring.

She swung her leg over him, so she was seated on his lap.

"What are you doing?" Cole hissed, keeping an ear out for Phoebe. "We could get caught."

Piper licked her lips. "Good. I like a little danger."

Cole raised his eyebrows and kissed her hard on the lips. They fell back onto the bed. And this time, they didn't bother shutting the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**  
"Piper? Phoebe?" Prue Halliwell's voice rang through the seemingly empty manor.

She laid her leather jacket and Coach purse on the foyer table before turning back to the front porch. She labored for two minutes with her luggage before giving into temptation. Furtively glancing up and down the street, Prue made hand a slight hand gesture and lifted her bags an inch into the air. They followed her into the house and she quickly shut the door behind herself.  
Prue headed to the kitchen to make herself a cup of relaxing herbal tea before her sisters and guys got home. As she crossed the floor in front of the stairs, she paused. They were barely muffled voices and bumps coming from the second floor.

"Demon," she whispered.

Climbing the stairs with bated breath, Prue braced herself for a fight. At the landing, she stopped and listened, trying to determine which room the commotion was in.

'Piper's room,' she thought, tip toeing cat-like down the hall in the direction of her little sister's bedroom.

When she reached the door, she expected to see an ugly creature, perhaps with claws or horns, but what she actually found shocked her more than any demon ever could.

"Piper! Cole!" Prue screamed.

The couple quickly, but reluctantly, pulled from their embrace. The sight of her older sister in the doorway stunned Piper.

"Prue!" Piper called to her disgusted sister.

Prue just shook her head in disgust. "Put some clothes on. I'll be downstairs when you're dressed," she told them, her voice filled with contempt.

Piper quickly dressed and raced after her sister. She found Prue sitting on the parlor couch, pretending to be immersed in her magazine.

"Prue?" Piper ventured.

No response.

Piper got down on her knees. "Prue?" she pleaded.

Prue looked up from her magazine, but studiously avoided eye contact with Piper. Instead, she walked briskly into the kitchen for that tea she'd never gotten to have.

Piper followed close behind, pleading with her sister. "Prue, please, just let me explain. Prue! Please! At least look at me."

"No, Piper, I won't look at you," Prue finally answered, her voice cold enough to cause another Ice Age. "What you did is wrong. It's disgusting. Piper, it's cheating!"

"Don't you think I know that, Prue?" Piper asked desperately, her voice rising with every few words. "Don't you think I feel like a piece of shit? Like a dirty whore? Don't you get it?"

Prue whirled around to face her sister. The fierce look set upon her slightly freckled face was one Piper had seen time and time again, but never directed at herself. It made Piper feel even worse, if it was possible.

"Piper, don't you get it? This isn't all about you! There are other people's feelings involved here! Like Phoebe, you sister's, and Leo, your husband's! They're the ones that will be hurt the most when the two of you are found out!" Prue's head felt like it was about to explode with rage. Piper bit her lips to help stem the river of tears building up in her eyes. She continued in a low, warning voice. "And make no mistake, they will find out."

It was Piper's turn to be furious. "Are you threatening me, Prue? Miss High and Mighty? You think you're so much better than the rest of us, but I know better. I know you better."

Prue's mask of indifference faltered slightly, but she regained it quickly. "Don't go there, Piper. I'm warning you."

Prue's warning tone only sufficed to give Piper more steam. "What's wrong, Prue? Is Little Miss Perfect ashamed of her past? Well, too bad! Because I remember all about Johnny."

Prue reeled backward, as if she'd been slapped. "Piper, this is totally different!" she whispered.

"Oh, yeah? How?" Piper countered.

Prue recovered her composure slightly and roared back, "He wasn't Phoebe's boyfriend and I wasn't married!"

Cole chose that exact moment to shimmer into the kitchen alongside Piper. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and returned Prue's hatred fill stare. He's heard enough of the argument to know Prue wouldn't be ratting on them any time soon, which suited him just fine.

"Come on, Cole," Piper ordered him, turning her heel and leading him out of the room.

Cole was more than willing to follow.

They climbed the stairs up to Piper's bedroom. Piper stomped up the stairs and slammed her door. She wanted to be damned sure Prue knew exactly where they were going. What did it matter if Piper had no intention of doing what Prue thought she was going to do?

Once they were seated on the bed, Piper turned to Cole. Her soft hand gently caressed his worn face. "Cole," she began.

He cut her off. "I know. You need time to think. You're right, you do. You need to decide who you want, me or the whitelighter. I personally don't mind the danger of sneaking around, but I know this isn't how you want things to be."

Piper smiled at him as gratitude filled her like hot chocolate on a cold winter day. "Thank you." She gave him a hug and then he was gone.

After sitting on her bed for several minutes, trying to work up the courage to face her next big problem, Piper took deep breaths that were meant to be calming. They weren't.

Piper rose to her feet and locked herself in the bathroom. The directions on the box were simple enough, and it wasn't like she thought anything would come of it. She was just a few days late, that's all.

Twenty minutes later, she forced herself to finally look at the results of her home pregnancy test.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**  
A knock sounded on her bedroom door and Phoebe's voice yelled, "Piper!"

The knock and the sound of Phoebe's voice startled Piper, who dropped the test into the garbage.

"What?" Piper called back, shuffling towards her door. She pulled it open and looked into Phoebe's eyes.

"C'mon, Pipe. We got some ugly demon ass to kick!" Phoebe told her sister, grabbing her hand and pulling Piper down the stairs after her.

Prue, Leo, and Cole stood in the by the foot of the stairs, watching the sisters descend. Prue avoided Piper's gaze, Piper avoided Cole, and Leo   
watched the three of them with a hurt look on his face.

He suspected something was going on with Piper and Cole, but he couldn't quite figure out how to find out without betraying Piper's trust. So he watched and waited for some evidence of an affair.

Phoebe bounced on the balls of her feet, ignoring the obvious tension in the group. "Okay, Piper, Leo explained to Prue, so lemme get you up to speed," she began. "Me and Leo went to Melissa's apartment and searched a little and guess what we found?" Phoebe paused, waiting for Piper to guess.

"Um, the Lochness monster?" Piper guessed half-heartedly.

"No, silly," Phoebe told her. "We found a lost Shakespeare play!"

Piper looked at Phoebe like she'd gone mad. "You, of all people, are excited about Shakespeare?"

Phoebe shook her head. "It's not the Shakespeare that I'm happy about. It's the fact that we can use it to help find and kill the demon. We can scry with it or something."

Prue spoke up. "Yeah, good idea, Pheebs. Why don't you and Piper go scry? Leo can check with the Elders. Cole, you go to the Underworld and see what you find and I'll search the Book again."

The group scattered to do their jobs.

Piper shot a scathing look at Prue back. 'That bitch paired me with Phoebe so I'd feel even guiltier than I already do.' She followed Phoebe up to the attic and get all set up to scry.

Just as she was about to begin, Cole shimmered in.  
"Phoebe," he whispered in a sing-song voice.

Phoebe whirled around and grinned. "Hey, baby," she answered in a childish voice. "I thought you were in the

They snuggled on the couch for a few minutes. Piper tried her best to tune them out by concentrating on the scrying crystal. It took all she had to keep her tears from falling. Just thinking of Cole with someone else was awful enough, but to actually see it made her heart feel as if it had been torn from her chest and stomped on.

"Pheebs, can you get me a glass of water?" Piper asked. She needed to talk to Cole about her test results.

"Yeah, of course, Piper," Phoebe replied. She brushed her lips against Cole's cheek and then bounded down the stairs.

"Cole," Piper's voice broke and the tears finally flowed.

Cole was up and at her side in an instant. "Piper, what is it?"

Piper looked into his dark, mysterious eyes and the look of anguish on her face broke his heart. "I-I think I'm pregnant," she finally told him, diverting her eyes.

Cole reeled backwards, his mind racing. 'Maybe I'm hearing things,' he thought. "What did you say?" he whispered, hoping desperately that what he's just heard wasn't true.

"I might be pregnant." Piper wiped her eyes with the side of her hand, not caring that her mascara was smudging. "And…I'm not sure who the father is."

Cole climbed to his feet and began pacing. 'This can't be happening. She can't be pregnant. She can't be. Phoebe will never forgive me. And neither will Piper is Leo and Phoebe find out.'

"Are you sure?" Cole asked, desperation creeping into his voice. He knelt down and probed her eyes with his.

Piper took a deep breath. "I took a home pregnancy test and it was positive. I'm going to the doctor as soon as this demon is done with to find out for sure, but Cole, I know what the answer's going to be. I'm pregnant."

A loud squeal filled the room and Phoebe dove onto Piper. "You're pregnant!"  
Phoebe screamed. "This is so excellent!" She started kissing Piper's stomach. "Hello, baby!"

Piper and Cole exchanged petrified glances over Phoebe's head.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

Blue orbs appeared next to the threesome and Piper, who was beginning to panic, whispered hurriedly, "Pheebs, keep it quiet for now because I'm not sure."

Phoebe knit her brows in confusion but nodded her agreement.

And not a moment too soon. The brilliant blue lights dissipated and Leo now stood a few feet away.

"Hey, Leo," Piper's voice shook as she forced herself to greet her husband, when really she wanted to scream and run far, far away.

Leo's deep blue eyes filled with concern as he knelt beside his wife. "Piper?" he asked tenderly. "What's wrong?"

Piper stared into his face, basking in the warmth and love radiating from him. The guilt and confusion she felt swelled and threatened to tumble from her. She forced it back down, unable to watch those warm blue eyes turn cold, not willing to see his caring face harden in pain. "Nothing," she choked out. "I'm just feeling a little sick."

Leo looked dubious, but didn't think Piper would lie to him. Still, he cast a wary glance at Cole, who was sitting a little too close to Piper.

Cole saw Leo's worried glance but didn't move away. He cared about Piper…he loved her, and she might be carrying his child. There was no way he was going to leave her alone if he didn't have to.

Leo, realizing his defeat, sighed. "The Elders want you three to check out that lost play we found."

"What play?" Piper asked, racking her brain.

Phoebe stared at her sister. "The play I told you about. You made fun of me for being excited about it, remember?"

Realization dawned on Piper's stressed-looking face. "Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm just a little distracted."

Leo looked at Piper weirdly again and added, "What did you two come up with when you scryed?"

"Nada," Phoebe told him.

Leo sighed in exasperation. "What did you do?"

"Nada," Phoebe repeated, a smile tugging at the corners of her lip-glossed   
lips.

"Well you better get working, then," Leo told her, pretending to be angry.

"Aye, aye, Captain Angel-man!" Phoebe mock saluted and left the attic with  
the map and crystal.

Leo probed Piper's honey-hued eyes with his own and she diverted her gaze, unable to meet his. "I'm going to help Prue in the kitchen. The Elders gave me an idea for a vanquishing potion."

Just as he finished saying that, Phoebe's voice yelled from downstairs. "Got it! Prue, Piper, Leo, I found him!"

Leo turned to Piper. "You stay here and check out that play. If you're not feeling well, the last thing you need to do is go demon fighting. I'll take  
Phoebe and Prue."

Piper nodded and Leo orbed down to her sisters. A minute later, the twinkle of orbs sounded again and they were gone.

Cole's hand immediately found its way onto her back. He began rubbing it, trying to relieve some of her stress. "Piper, you know you're pregnant. That means you know who the father is."

Piper stared at Cole, pain and guilt swimming in her brown pools of liquid. "You. You're the father…There's no way it could be Leo."

"Then I'll help raise him…or her," Cole told her, compassion filling his handsome face. "I want us to be a family."

Piper began weeping. "So do I."

They embraced tightly and their lips met in a sweet, loving kiss. Just as the couple broke apart, bright lights streamed from the lost Shakespearean play, hitting each of them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

"Piper!" Leo yelled.

"Cole!" Phoebe shrieked at the same time.

The two dashed towards their respective loves with Prue following at a much slower pace.

The unconscious couple stirred slightly. Leo held his hands over Piper but before the warm golden glow even touched her, she was awake and on the move. Cole wasn't far behind.

Piper and Cole seemed different, almost as if they were…possessed.

Leo, Phoebe, and a now interested Prue, followed them but could barely keep up. By the time they caught up, Cole was at the foot of the stairs and Piper was leaning on the railing near the top. Both wore dreamy masks of love.

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun!" Cole deep voice sounded odd speaking the ancient words.

The line sounded vaguely familiar to the puzzled threesome of Prue, Leo, and Phoebe.

Prue gasped and her slim hand flew to her mouth. "Romeo and Juliet! The balcony scene!" she explained excitedly.

Phoebe recognized it as soon as she heard the word "Romeo." "Oh, my, God! They must have been possessed by that play!"

Leo still looked puzzled. "But that wasn't Romeo and Juliet. You said it was a lost play."

A look of realization and confusion dawned on Phoebe's dainty features. "You're right!"

"Pheebs, go get that play," Prue ordered, beginning to worry as Piper and Cole continued to act out the balcony scene, oblivious to their spectators.

"Oh, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet!" Piper declared passionately.

Phoebe returned with the play, slightly out of breath. Her face was stricken. "P-Prue, l-look!"

Pre grabbed the play and read the title. Pulse racing, she flipped to the last scene. As she scanned the page, her own expression changed to mirror Phoebe's.

The sisters' eyes met and they both knew that they had to stop Piper and Cole. Each had a different reason, though. Prue's was so that Piper and Cole's little affair wasn't found out. Phoebe's was that Piper was pregnant.

Suddenly, Piper let out a delighted yell of excitement and leapt over the balcony, into Cole's waiting arms. His arms bulged as she swept her up close to his face. Their lips met.

Leo's stomach lurched as he watched his wife passionately kiss Cole. Even though he knew she was possessed by that play, he couldn't help but wander if this was the first time their lips had met. They seemed too familiar with each other. He cast a glance at Phoebe and saw her eyes brimming with tears. Leo knew she didn't have the same suspicions as himself, she was too blind when it came to love, but the sight still tugged at her heart as much as his.

Then, quick as a flash, the couple was out the door. A roar of a motorcycle filled the air for a moment before fading off into the distance.

"Shit," Prue swore.

The three raced down the grand staircase and out the door after the love struck duo.

The play that had caused so much chaos fell to the floor and lay open on the carpet.

The title read: "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet—Forbidden Version"


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

So many thoughts raced through Prue's head as she floored the accelerator in her attempts to catch up to her runaway sister and Cole.

'Why is this happening _now_, of all times?' Prue asked herself, swerving to the right to avoid a collision with an SUV. 'Do the fates really have that much fun toying with us?'

Phoebe watched Prue's face as she contemplated who knew what. As her sister veered onto an empty dirt road, her eyes flashed to the right and Phoebe was able to read her better than a book. She saw not just anger at the situation, but also fear and sadness.

'There's something she's not telling me,' Phoebe knew instinctively. 'But then again, I'm doing the same thing. She doesn't know that Piper and Leo are about to get a little bundle of nerves, otherwise known as a magical baby.'

Leo stared out the window, lost in thought. A desolate expression coated his handsome features. He knew something was going on between Piper and Cole. He could just tell. And he felt that both Prue and Phoebe were being even more secretive than usual. Both of them were hiding something. Every time Prue's vivid green eyes brush over him, he saw the guilt and sympathy flash briefly across them before her emotionless stare returned. Phoebe, on the other hand, wouldn't look at him. And when she did, her light soft eyes twinkled and she winked or smiled at him.

Prue jammed her foot on the brake as Piper and Cole's motorcycle pulled to the side of the road and they scrambled off and into the grassy but deserted park.

Prue, Phoebe, and Leo raced from the car and continued their game of Cat-and-Mouse with the mischievous couple on foot.

Prue tried her powers, but they had no effect on her sister. Leo tried orbing in front of them but Cole managed to shimmer them to safety each time. The whole time, Piper and Cole giggled their heads off, having the times of their lives.

The three finally caught up with the elusive pair deep into the woods. They were resting near a log, completely hidden from view except for Piper's slender leg.

Phoebe had written a spell mentally while they were still searching and recited it, freezing the sleeping Piper and Cole until they were ready to do something with them.

Leo orbed the sisters and Cole back to the Manor. He cast a longing glance at his wife's sleeping form, still snuggled next to Cole, before returning to the field for Prue's abandoned car.

Prue immediately began flipping through the Book, her fingers angrily turning the pages. When one particularly rough flip tore one of the pages, Phoebe's head whipped up. She's been making Piper and Cole comfortable-on separate couches.

"Hey, careful!" She warned.

Prue nodded absently. The Book's torn page magically repaired itself as Prue's returned her gaze to it. "Not that I should be surprised," she muttered. "It does everything else. Why not heal itself?" Her eyes were skimming the page when she gasped involuntarily.

"Pheebs, I think I found something; a potion." Phoebe crossed the attic floor and read the page for herself. Prue finished reading and added, "But we need something of Piper's."

Phoebe nodded. "I'll go get it," she offered. But her eyes wandered to Cole's still form.

The love in her sister's eyes broke Prue's heart because she knew how crushed Phoebe would be when she found out the truth.

"No, I'll do it. You sit with Cole," Prue told her, striding out of the room.

She entered Piper's room. Prue glanced around before deciding to check the bathroom for something. She quickly scanned the bathroom before letting her gaze stop at the hairbrush lying on the counter. "Perfect," she whispered. Prue grabbed it and turned to leave but as she did something in the trash caught her eye.

Her delicate hand darted into the can and removed a used home pregnancy test. Prue's startling green eyes grew wide in shock as she read the results and the impact of it hit her.

Piper was pregnant…with Cole's child!


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

"Prue?" Phoebe's voice was tinged with worry as she called for her sister.

"Coming!" Prue answered, shoving the test under a rumpled tissue in the garbage.

As Prue raced back up the stairs, she tried her hardest to block out everything but helping her sister.

Phoebe glanced up as Prue entered the attic. "The potion's almost done."

Prue watched her little sister as she concentrated on brewing the potion, an uncharacteristically pitying look painted across her ivory skin. She felt so guilty, as if it was her own fault that Piper was know pregnant with Cole's child.

Her thought turned to Johnny. As hard as she'd tried to forget that part of her life, it was always lurking their in the shadows of her mind, threatening to jump out at her when she let her guard down.

Phoebe's head snapped up. "Okay, we just need something of Piper's and a little mandrake root and we're golden."

At that moment, Cole's arm twitched and Piper's eyes fluttered.

"Hurry," Phoebe urged. "Whatever's possessing them must be fighting the spell."

Prue dropped the brush into the mixture, remembering just in time to duck. A loud crack reverberated through the attic, followed by a puff of gray smoke.

As the smoke cleared, Piper and Cole awoke.

Cole shook his head clear and glanced over at Piper. He smiled hungrily and pressed his lips against hers.

Phoebe quickly filled two vials with the oozing red liquid.

Prue noticed the newly-awoken couple. "Pheebs," she warned.

Phoebe capped the second vial and tossed it to Prue, who deftly caught it.

"One," she said.

"Two," Phoebe added.

"Three," they finished in unison.

The bottles flew across the dusty room, landing on either side of the couple. As the vials' glass splintered and the contents spread, a thick smoke surrounded Piper and Cole.

When it died away, Prue and Phoebe rushed over, expecting to find them stunned but separated. Instead, the two were still locked in a tight embrace, their passion painfully clear. They weren't under any spell this time. It was the real deal

"Ahem," Prue loudly cleared her throat.

Piper finally tore her lips from Cole's. "Phoebe!" she exclaimed when her eyes came to a rest on her baby sister.

Phoebe's own honey hued eyes were already glassy with wavering tears that were threatening to fall at any moment. She could feel her heart slowly icing over, mildly numbing the sharp pang of loss and rejection.

"How could you?" she sobbed, her porcelain skin growing blotchy and red as the tears spilled over. Phoebe turned sharply and dashed towards the door.

"Phoebe," Piper called, tears brimming in her eyes as well.

Phoebe stopped dead in her tracks. When she finally turned to face her sister, the look of fury on her face caused everyone in the room to recoil.

"Don't you dare, Piper. Don't you _ever_ talk to me again."

Phoebe once again turned and continued her escape from the stuffy attic.

Piper turned her pleading stare to Prue.

Prue returned the stare. "Well what did you expect, Piper? A ticker tape parade? This is what happens when you sleep with your sister's boyfriend. If you think this is bad wait until she finds out he got you knocked up."

That said, Prue turned and followed Phoebe down the stairs.

"Pheebs?" she called.

Her ears detected a sniffling in the corner.

Prue eased herself down next to her baby sister and began gently rubbing her back.

"Hey, Pheebs," she whispered. "Look at me, please," she pleaded.

Phoebe finally looked up and ran a shaky hand under her downcast eyes, smudging her once perfect eye liner.

"Prue," she said. The pain in her voice coupled with the look in her watery eyes broke Prue's heart. "It really hurts and I-I don't know what to do." Phoebe leaned against Prue, breathing in her strength.

"I know, Pheebs," Prue's comforting tone slightly soothed her sister's trampled-on heart. "It hurts and you don't think anyone or anything can make it go away."

"It's not fair," Phoebe sobbed. "I finally opened my heart to love and look what it does to me. And don't give me that, 'It's better to have loved and lost,' crap. I've had way too much Shakespeare for one lifetime."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Prue promised, a slight smile on her cherry lips. Prue looked thoughtful for a second. "C'mon, Pheebs. Ben and Jerry are calling."

Phoebe returned Prue's smile and climbed to her feet. "Thank you, Prue."

The two sisters walked out of the Manor, arms wrapped tight around each other.

Piper looked on from the attic window, tears silently spilling over her cheeks.

_Phoebe grinned broadly as she stuck the spoon to her nose, using the cookie dough ice cream as adhesive._

Piper and Prue laughed at the sight.

"Hey!" Phoebe called out indignantly. Slyly, she swiped a large scoop with Prue's spoon and before either of her sisters knew what hit them, they were dripping with ice cream.

The two sisters looked down at themselves in shock while Phoebe rolled on the kitchen floor laughing.

"Let's get her!" Piper and Prue yelled in unison.

"No!" Phoebe shrieked as they descended on her, tickling her mercilessly.

"Apologize!" Piper demanded.

"Never!" Phoebe screamed laughingly, wriggling under their fingers.

"You asked for it!" Prue warned her.

Piper grabbed the sink hose and began squirting her baby sister.

Phoebe shrieked and raced out the door, sisters hot on her heels, in an attempt to exact revenge with the garden hose.

Piper stirred herself out of her reverie. She thought she had shed all her tears, but a solitary droplet slid down her flushed cheek.

Cole watched her helplessly from across the room. He could feel her pain, it was etched across her beautiful but worn features, but there was nothing he could do.

"I should have left her alone. She was happy with Leo until I came along," Cole berated himself.

He loved her so much but he didn't know how to make her happy. He'd already ruined her relationship with Phoebe permanently, so leaving wouldn't help. Too bad he couldn't go back in time, but Tempus wouldn't be too happy to see him, let alone the Source.

Blue lights suddenly filled Cole's eyes, blocking his view of Piper.

At the sight of her husband, Piper's tears began anew, cascading down her cheeks in torrents.

"Leo, I'm so sorry!" she sobbed.

Leo's eyes filled with compassion. "Piper, honey, I know. And I know how to fix things with Phoebe."

Piper's head whipped up. "You-you do?"

Leo nodded and held up a small sachet.

"Memory dust?" Cole guessed.

"Yes," Leo answered tersely. He turned to Piper and his expression softened once again. "I'll sprinkle you with it. I already got your sisters. You'll never know we were together."

Piper ran her hand gently across Leo's cheek. "Leo," she started.

Leo pressed his finger against her lips. "It's okay." He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers one last time.

Cole crossed to stand at Piper's side. He took her hand in his, studying her face intently.

Leo squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to regain his composure. Raising his hand, he tossed a handful of memory dust onto the new couple.

"You will go to sleep and when you awake, you won't remember our relationship or anything about it," Leo intoned. "In your minds, you and Cole have been a couple for a little over a year. But remember, your angel will always be watching you."

Piper and Cole sagged onto the couch, deep in a dreamless sleep.

Leo watched his love for a moment, stared as her chest rose and fell. He loved and he always would, but because he loved her so much, he needed to let her go.

With one last heartbroken glance, he orbed away, leaving Piper to her new life.

_9 months later_

"Push, Piper, push!"

Piper let out a primal scream as she pushed with all her might. Her pain was rewarded with a child's wail.

Piper dropped back onto the hospital bed, breathing heavily.

After several minutes, a nurse brought the fruit of her labor to her, swaddled in warm, pink blanket.

Moments later, another nurse followed with a baby clothed in blue.

Piper beamed down at her beautiful little babies.

Her sisters were crying more than the babies in the corner.

"Oh, great, my eyeliner's running!" Phoebe complained through the tears.

"You wore eyeliner when you knew you'd be crying?" Prue asked her, wiping her own eyes.

"Well, a girl should always look her best!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"Yeah, especially when they will be cute doctors around, right?" Prue teased.

Phoebe nodded happily. "Exactly!"

The sisters laughed as they rose from their chairs.

Phoebe bounced across the room, dragging and equally excited Prue behind her.

"So, have you thought of names yet?" Prue asked.

"Yeah, I was thinking Phoebe for the girl and Phoebo for the boy!" Phoebe informed Piper with a smile.

"You so stole that from _Friends_!" Prue accused her.

"Who? Me?" Phoebe asked innocently. "So, _have_ you thought of names?"

Piper nodded, not taking her eyes off her babies.

"Melinda Patricia for the girl," Cole told them.

"And Wyatt Matthew for the boy," Piper added.

Her sisters exchanged confused looks. "Why Wyatt Matthew?"

Piper turned her gaze to them, finally tearing her eyes from Melinda and Wyatt. "I don't know. I just have a feeling that's what I should name him."

Phoebe shrugged. "Works for us."

_Up in Heaven_

Leo looked down on the touching scene with a hollow heart. When he heard the name Piper had chosen for her beautiful son, it took all the restraint he had to keep from bursting into tears.

Slowly, he turned away and walked off into the Elder's chambers to receive his new charge. As he went, he wiped a solitary tear from his eye.


End file.
